Six previously unreleased Morrissey tracks finally will see the light of day this fall when EMI releases a 20th anniversary expanded reissue of the ex-Smith’s iconic early-career singles compilation Bona Drag.

Expanded CD and “double heavyweight” 180-gram vinyl editions of the remastered compilation will be released Sept. 27 in the U.K. by EMI, which is reviving its 1960s imprint Major Minor for the occasion, according to a news release posted today by the True to You fan site.

The 14-track disc originally was released as a stop-gap in October 1990 and compiled Viva Hate’s “Suedehead” and “Everyday is Like Sunday,” the four hit post-Viva Hate singles that Morrissey released in 1989 and 1990 — “The Last of the Famous International Playboys,” “Interesting Drug,” “Ouija Board, Ouija Board” and “November Spawned a Monster” — plus a new single recorded specifically for the disc, “Piccadilly Palare,” as well as each of those singles’ respective B-sides.

The new edition, compiled “with Morrissey’s full cooperation,” includes six bonus tracks: “Happy Lovers At Last United,” an outtake from the “Everyday is Like Sunday” sessions; “Lifeguard on Duty,” a Viva Hate outtake; “Please Help the Cause Against Loneliness,” a Viva Hate demo previously covered by Sandie Shaw; “Oh Phoney,” a Bona Drag outtake; “The Bed Took Fire,” an early version of Viva Hate outtake “At Amber”; and an alternate long mix of Viva Hate outtake “Let the Right One Slip In” (see full tracklist below).

In keeping with Morrissey’s habit of changing album art for his reissues, the singer “has chosen to return the cover art — taken from the “November Spawned a Monster” video — back to its natural colour, so his shirt is black” (although that new artwork hasn’t yet been revealed). There also will be updated inner artwork with “a selection of favourite, hand-picked and rarely seen photos.”

and so ironic that Moz and the Smiths has had more reissues with extra tracks than anybody else I can think of! I will however pick this up, will be nice to have all this on CD (my version of Bona Drag is on cassette!)

I’m so sick of seeing the lyrics from “Paint a Vulgar Picture” quoted everytime Morrissey releases a new compilation, reissue…etc. You are not being clever and you’re certainly not being original. In fact, the later reissues of these albums has proven that song to be even more telling than it was ever intended.

The song was written in the context of Morrissey being the older pop star and not the “fawning fan.” Morrissey never refused the idea of “reissue, repackage, repackage” but rather saw himself embracing it in his latter days.